Friday Girl
by banshee-hime
Summary: She was his Friday girl. The girl he saw every Friday. Well, not saw, but just watched. She was the girl he didn't really have the courage to talk to every Friday. Until that Friday, that is. And, boy, was she magnificent. KugaxOC drabbles non-betaed
1. Long Jing - Dragon Well Tea

**Short info before we start:  
Updates: Weekly  
Length: Will vary  
Quotes and prompts: from writing-ideas-inc . tumblr . com and uhmmmsweetie . tumblr . com  
Chapters planned: Ten  
Pairing: KugaxOC**

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**Chapter 1: Long Jing - Dragon Well Tea**

**Prompt: Cuddles**

**Quote: "To be honest, I just wanted a chance to look at the stars with you."**

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She wasn't pretty. No. She wasn't pretty at all. And, those delicate hands didn't catch his attention at all. Nope. It had nothing to do with _her_. It was all about the tea. He just wanted a good place to drink some high-quality tea and this was the best café to go to. In fact, café might've been a wrong word for it. It was more of a teafe. And, his coming here every Friday to drink tea had _nothing_ to do with _her_. Now that he had cleared that up, Terunori returned to his staring. At _her_.

She wasn't pretty. In fact, if he'd seen her in casual clothing on the street, he'd have probably forgotten her in a flash. Yet, there was just something about in when she was serving at the Emerald Dragon. The long black hair neatly tied into a ponytail that trailed down her back. It swished with every move that she made, like some kind of a severe whip. It made him tingle. He couldn't stop following the silky strands, shining with each movement, when her back was turned to him. Well, maybe he was looking at her ass too. Maybe. It wasn't like there was nothing to look at, so he felt no shame whatsoever. That qipao did wonders for her. It was silk, he could tell. It slid down her form, hugging it in a rather sinful way, accenting all the right places with a shine and gentleness only silk could. Qipao was make or break, pretty much, just like Chinese cuisine. It either made one look like a silly cosplaying clown, or like a lady head to toe. She had lucked out. Majorly.

But, the emerald green silk dress with the golden dragon on it and her shiny hair weren't the only things that Terunori had noticed. No, it was when she _turned around_ that the real staring began. She had a nice ass, sure, but her breasts were heaven. Not too large, not too small, just, perfect hand size. The kind that made you want to get to second base. Though, it wasn't her assets that he found himself staring at most of the time. No. It was her face. She had the most peculiar eyes he'd ever seen, a rather interesting shade of green. It was deep, almost black, yet when the light hit them just right, he could see that they were emerald. They were large, too. Always smiling at her customers, always honest, always kind. Her cheeks reminded him of a baby's, not that he'd seen that many in his teenage life. But, they were always rosy and somehow squishy, giving her a youthful appearance. The lips, oh, God, the lips. Perfectly small, pouty, and either in a smile or apart in almost confusion-like emotion, which she did while concentrating unconsciously. She didn't wear lipstick. He liked that. The most he'd seen on that pouty small mouth was the sheen of a lip-gloss. She wore something dark on her eyes, though. Something that made them pop even more. He could tell that, one Friday, she'd forgotten to put it. Her eyes had seemed smaller that day. Less appealing, but still able to catch his gaze easily.

She was his Friday girl. Simply because he didn't know her name. It wasn't like he had any other day girls. Maybe he should've had some? Maybe then, she wouldn't've become such an obsession. Yet, she was. She was a horrible obsession. After all, how could she not be? With that smile and those eyes, and that perfect ass. She was definitely his favorite Friday girl. Or any girl.

"Welcome back, young master!" God, her voice was heavenly, too. She was everything that he associated with tea. Beauty, grace, gentleness, and femininity. She had no place in the harsh cuisine which he practiced. She didn't need to face the spices that made you cry in anguish yet eat like you need them to survive. She was simply too delicate for that. Too delicate and too strong. She would destroy him, if he allowed her to. "Follow me to your table, please."

Terunori didn't talk to her. He didn't have the courage. She was polite, proper and fully in the role that the café gave her that day. Usually, they were simply a period tea shop. The servers were all dressed in traditional garb, mostly qinpaos or pinyins, greeting everyone with 'young master' or 'master'. They all spoke formally, too. There was no need for him to talk to the staff, unless he was ordering or buying. And, the Emerald Dragon was the best place to get tea, so he did talk to some of the staff quite often. But, never _her_. She was unattainable. She was there to look at. To enjoy. To sample. Like she was one of the numerous, exquisite teas on the menu herself. But, that Friday would be different.

"Can I sit over there?" Terunori asked before he realized that he had. The girl swiveled around, her eyes wide and her hair swishing around her, like a black silk veil.

"This table is not to your liking, young master?" She asked politely, bowing and showing him the single person accommodation next to the window. Terunori didn't really mind it. It offered a nice view of the street and the patrons. However, that wasn't what interested him. He preferred the other table. His usual table.

"I'd like that one," he grinned at her on instinct. He had been trained well at Totsuki. Smile. Just smile. Like a complete idiot. Don't ever let them know just how skilled you are. Just smile stupidly. Cutely. It had become second nature after a year.

"Of course," she bowed again, leading him towards the table he'd requested. That one was further in the back, where the café took on an Eastern style. It was on a raised platform, where one had to take off their shoes to enter. The tables were all low, with seats made of comfortable cushions around them. It was much more traditional and something that he preferred to the Western front. "Here you are, young master." Another bow. Terunori looked at the way her ponytail slipped forward over her shoulder, sliding down like a black waterfall. Truly, she was magnificent to look at.

"Thank you," he sat down in a proper seiza, which had also become second nature. He didn't need to take the menu, but ordered exactly what he knew he wanted for that day. "A long jing, please. With the pot."

"Certainly," she bowed, noting his order down and then leaving. Terunori couldn't look at her as she did, due to his choice of table. But, he would have a clear view of her once she was back in the Western-style area, like he always did. Instead, he turned to the side, directing his gaze behind the counter. There were numerous shelves, each containing multiple glass drawers of plants, labeled carefully. He didn't need to read the letters, though. Just by looking at the leaves inside the glass containers, he could tell which was which. It seemed that there had been a few new deliveries since last week.

Terunori focused on the reason why he'd come to the shop in the first place, other than to ogle the server, and took out his recipe notebook. He started messing with the lists of ingredients, imagining how each of them would taste in a meal. A new recipe would be a step up for him. It would bring him closer to his goal: becoming the number one seat in the Elite Ten. He just needed a solid recipe and Tsukasa to accept his Shokugeki request. Both seemed out of reach at that moment, though.

"Here you are, young master," her voice made him jump a bit, as he'd been too preoccupied with the task at hand. She knelt down on the cushion next to his, all her movements delicate. Then, she placed the tea pot and the cup from her tray onto the table. Terunori followed the movements of her hands in utter fascination. Her fingers were long, slim and delicate. The smooth skin seemed to flow along with her graceful movements, not a single motion too much or too little. It was perfect. She was perfect.

"Thank you," he managed, the fact that she was serving him, which didn't usually happen, finally catching up with his brain. Nervousness set in. He realized his hands were trembling and he quickly placed them in his lap. The girl either didn't, or pretended that she didn't, notice and bowed politely, before rising in a single smooth motion, walking away. He couldn't help but watch that ponytail swishing behind her. It was captivating. She was captivating.

Terunori stayed at the Emerald dragon for a long time. He wasn't really aware of the passage of time when he sat there, mulling over his recipes and drinking the wonderful tea they had. He usually came around noon and stayed until they tossed him out, quite politely, somewhere after eleven. It was a great place to get his head in the proper space to work. The gentle traditional music in the background, the quiet movements of the patrons and staff and the intoxicating scent of tea was where he felt most comfortable, second to maybe his kitchen.

"Is he still there?" Mayumi asked her colleague, not turning around to look at the problematic patron. Chunhua looked up, glancing at the table she knew her friend and coworker was asking about.

"Still there," the Chinese girl confirmed. "He looks quite preoccupied, though." Mayumi and Chunhua were like day and night. While the former was soft-spoken, elegant and ladylike, the latter was more of a tomboy and had had numerous problems getting used to the role of the server at the Emerald Dragon.

"I hope he leaves soon," Mayumi sighed, daring to glance at the odd boy sitting at one of the tables near the servers' area. He was peculiar. With multi-colored hair and always wearing some kind of weird clothing, he followed her with his eyes wherever she went whenever he was at the café. It unsettled her.

"Maybe you should just talk to him?" Chunhua shrugged. "He seems to have it bad for you." Mayumi whirled around, blushing.

"What?"

"He's sweet on you, Mayu," the girl chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. "Give him a chance. Maybe he'll surprise you." With a shrug, she left her colleague, going to the front to greet the next wave of guests.

Mayumi didn't know how to feel about the advice she'd received. She stood still for a few moments, holding the tray to her chest. He was odd. He stared. She felt exposed and borderline uncomfortable when he was at the café. It wasn't like the feeling she got from the pushy older gentlemen that came, though. It was a different kind of feeling. It made her feel hot all over and she didn't like that. But, Mayumi decided to take Chunhua's advice and be brave. She walked over to the table, bowing politely before asking in a soft tone.

"Is everything to you liking, young master?" He jumped at the sound, head going up to look at her. She saw the way he seemed to startle, then open his mouth, then close it, before finally speaking.

"Fine, it is," Mayumi held her breath, doing her best not to laugh at his obvious nervousness. By the way he blushed instantly, eyes wide, she could tell that he was mortified.

"Y-Yoda?" She asked, making the blush on his cheeks deepen. Then, she covered her mouth with her hand, realizing that she'd broken protocol. She wasn't supposed to break character. She was always supposed to be the polite server.

"I'm so sorry," he seemed to be blushing even more, if that was possible. "Please, sit down." Mayumi glanced at the entrance, seeing that Chunhua had it covered, before lowering herself on the cushion next to the boy. "The tea is great." He seemed to settle for saying, glaring at his notebook.

"I'm glad that it's to your liking." Mayumi bowed, training kicking back in. She dared to glance at the boy, who seemed to be trying to figure out something, as his brows were furrowed.

"M-meteor shower!" He finally said, looking up at her, then realized that had sounded too vague and elaborated. "There's one tonight, a meteor shower. Go you want with me?" That blush was back as soon as his words got jumbled up. Mayumi chuckled, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she did so. Perhaps, the boy wasn't as terrible as she'd initially thought. Perhaps, he was simply sweet on her, as Chunhua had said.

"I finish my shift at eleven." She told him.

"I'll wait!" Mayumi nodded at his eager reply, standing up with a bow and leaving his table. Throughout the rest of the shift, she couldn't help but glance at his table, catching his eyes on her numerous times. It wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been before, feeling that gaze on her body.

* * *

Terunori rubbed his hands together, trying to keep them warm. He had his coat on, along with a scarf and gloves, and was waiting for _her_ to finish getting changed. He couldn't believe that he'd actually asked her to come with him and watch the meteor shower. It had been an unthinkable feat for him, in fact. But, she'd said yes. So easily. Perhaps, he could've done something like that a year ago, when he'd discovered the Emerald Dragon and his new obsession with the graceful girl. But, what was done was done and Terunori wasn't one to dwell on the past. A lot. It bothered him a bit. Yes, just a bit.

"Thanks for waiting," she finally came out, smelling of the teas she had been preparing the whole day. Her hair was down, a warm jacket over long black pants and high brown boots. She looked exquisite, as always.

"It's no problem," he grinned at her easily, falling into his usual persona due to nervousness. "Shall we?" She nodded, then followed him when he led them around the corner. His town car was waiting there. He opened the door for her, letting her slide in first, then following.

"Woah!" The girl exclaimed, looking around the expensive ride. "This is amazing." Terunori reminded himself that not everyone was as lucky as he was, being as rich as he was.

"It's convenient," he grinned, unzipping his coat. The girl did the same, revealing a soft brown sweater under her jacket. "I have a nice place where we can see the shower well, if that's alright?"

"Of course," she smiled at him, making his eyes focus on the way it changed her features. She seemed a tad on edge, but definitely more relaxed than at the café. It was like her server persona was gone. Yet, she still remained rather polite and graceful. He liked that. "Oh, I don't even know your name…" She looked troubled by that fact, a hand going to her mouth in astonishment.

"Terunori," he replied. "Just Terunori."

"Ah, first name?" She blushed, then covered her face. "I'm Murakami Mayumi." Mayumi. He liked it. Great archer, it somehow suited her.

"Mayumicchi, then." Terunori grinned, enjoying the way she blushed at the familiarity with which he addressed her. "Or Murakamicchi? No, I like Mayumicchi better. Maybe Mayucchi?" He was nervous, but he still rattled off confidently, enjoying the way she blushed more and more at the nicknames.

"Ah, whichever you prefer is fine with me." She told him, but she obviously wasn't. She wouldn't stop blushing. Murakami Mayuri, his Friday girl. She was sitting right next to him in his town car, going to watch the meteor shower he hadn't even planned on watching. It was like a dream.

They settled into easy chatter, talking about tea. It had been the safest topic Terunori could think of choosing, and it had proven to be the right one. Mayumi was happy to tell him about the café and what kinds of leaves they had and sold there. He listened, despite already knowing the majority of the information she was giving him. He simply liked hearing her talk to him. And, talking more seemed to make her relax more. It was _nice_.

There was no burden to compete. To hide what he was thinking. To put on a confident front. He wasn't Kuga or Kuga-senpai or the 8th Seat. He was simply Terunori. And he _loved_ it. She laughed at his joked, smiled when he made a fool of himself and giggled when he told her a funny story of his experience with tea. She even shared a few details about starting her job at the Emerald Dragon with him, making him laugh and tease her. She'd blushed then. Pouted. God, he wanted just to kiss her. To hug her. To have his hands on her.

"Here we are," Terunori said when the town car stopped, holding the door for the girl and helping her out. He'd chosen a nice spot for the meteor shower viewing. It was one of the sightseeing spots, with benches and a small park, high on a nearby hill. He led Mayumi to the edge of the pedestrian zone, where there was a railing overlooking the city below and multiple telescopes, the kind that you put a coin into in order to see through. "Looks good for a spot, right?"

"Perfect!" Mayumi agreed, walking over to the railing. She leaned on it, giving him a nice view of her figure. Her hair was falling over her shoulders in messy, but gentle tresses, like a waterfall. Terunori reached out from his spot next to her, tucking a strand behind her ear. Her cheeks flushed as she turned to him.

"You're not cold, are you?" He asked.

"No," she replied, shaking her head and making that same strand of hair fall back to its previous place.

"It's freezing, though!" Terunori told her, his weakness finally catching up to him as he hugged himself, trying to warm up. Mayumi giggled at that, stepping closer to him and taking his hand, pulling it around herself. Instantly, he felt warmer. Whether it was due to her close proximity or the intimate embrace, he didn't know.

"Terunori-kun, you're weak to the cold?" Mayumi giggled, her arm circling around his waist, warming him up even more. When he shakily nodded, she shook her head. "Why did you want to go stargazing then? In December of all months!" Terunori sighed, gathering his courage. He looked at the girl in his embrace, happy that he had a few centimeters on her in height. She seemed to be blushing as much as he was.

"To be honest, I just wanted a chance to look at the stars with you." Mayumi smiled at that, blushing and looking away from him.

"Ah, it's starting," she said, watching as the first stars began falling. But, Terunori couldn't do anything except look at her. She wasn't pretty. She was gorgeous.

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**That's all for now, folks!**

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**Next chapter prompts preview:**

**Prompt: Sees the others' living space  
Quote: "It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line."**


	2. Huangshan Maofeng Tea - Yellow Mountain

**Chapter 2: Huangshan Maofeng Tea - Yellow Mountain Fur Peak**

**Prompt: Sees the others' living space**

**Quote: "It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line."**

* * *

Kuga Terunori was in high spirits. Though, it wasn't his usual cheery self. No, this was different. He was in extremely high spirits. Genuine ones. There was some kind of a different spark to the way he moved that wok around, and there was a spring in his step as he served the food he'd made with absolute pride. Heck, he even bothered to thank the men at the Chinese Cuisine RS for taste-testing. Altogether, this odd occurrence made the second seat of the Elite Ten quite interested.

"You got some new spices that will burn my tongue off, Kuga?" Rindō asked, sitting on the chair at the Chinese Cuisine RS, her legs pulled up on it in a very unladylike manner. Nene would definitely scold her if she saw that.

"Maybe," Terunori blew her a raspberry, but still served her food. He knew by then exactly how to avoid questions from the persistent and quite nosy second seat - feed her. Rindō was easily distracted, like a small child or a curious animal. Terunori planned to use every single one of the tricks and tips on how to avoid the Elite Ten in order to hide Mayumi from them.

It wasn't that he was ashamed. No, far from that. Mayumi was nothing to be ashamed about. She was, in fact, everything to be proud of. However, Terunori was all too familiar with the nature of Tōtsuki students and staff. After all, he was one of them. Arrogant, snobby, determined, childish and borderline insane was how he would describe anyone at the school, in just a few adjectives. And, he knew how Rindō was. If she found out about Mayumi, Terunori could kill his peace at The Emerald Dragon goodbye. Rindō would definitely bring the whole council there.

"Eat up, eat up," and so Terunori opted for the safest path out of that minefield. "Eat up and get out. You know, leave, hurry, go, bye-bye sempai!" He shamelessly urged her, waving his hands for her to get out.

"But I'm bored, Kuga!" Rindō bored was always trouble. He knew that he needed to redirect her attention as quickly as possible to something other than his private Friday afternoons. "Entertain me! Kuga!"

"I heard they needed some help with identifying grasshoppers at the Insect RS," actually, he'd been asked to help. After all, they had wanted to spice the grasshoppers up and make them the traditional Chinese way. However, due to the bags being unlabeled, the two types of grasshoppers, differently preserved, had gotten all mixed up. Terunori had never quite fancied eating them, so he'd been avoiding going down to Insect RS and try grasshopper after grasshopper from three shipments of mixed bags.

"Grasshoppers?!" His tactic had worked brilliantly, as Rindō polished off her plate, placing it into the sink and bounding off with glee. "Thanks for the food, Kuga!"

But, Terunori 's hard day was just starting. He hadn't slept that night. In fact, he'd been having trouble sleeping for a while. He knew what he had to do. He just had to do it. But, the task was beyond daunting. It was more daunting than facing Tsukasa in a Shokukegi. Alright, perhaps he was exaggerating. Perhaps it wasn't that bad. But, it still got his hands to falter in their movements through the recipe whenever he thought to what he had to do. The stopwatch dinged, telling Terunori that he had to go if he planned to be on time. And, he had to be on time, because everything had to be perfect. He would make certain that it was perfect.

The Emerald Dragon was busy, as always, when he got there. He was just on time, right past noon. The girl who greeted him at the door wasn't Mayumi. It was the Chinese server who always gave him sly looks, as if she knew a secret even he didn't.

"Welcome back, Terunori-bocchama," she greeted him, giving that coy look once more. Terunori didn't rise to the challenge, though.

"My usual table, Chunhua-chan," he grinned cutely at her, enjoying the slight jump of her eyebrow when he didn't take the bait. "I'll have Huangshan Maofeng, with the pot."

"Understood, young master," Chunhua bowed to him politely, then vanished from the traditional table which he sat at comfortably. It had been at least a month since he'd gone stargazing with Mayumi. And, their Fridays at the Emerald Dragon had changed. She stopped by his table often, just for a chat, and spent her breaks in pleasant conversation with him, rather than alone in the back. On the other hand, that had made it incredibly hard for Terunori to actually get some work done. He would always have different mixes of spices that he would try upon leaving the Emerald Dragon. But, those times were gone now. Now, he left the tea shop with only millions of questions in his brain, scurrying around like his workers when the recipe was new. And, he didn't mind it one bit.

"Hello, Terunori-kun," Mayumi offered him a small bow as she passed and Terunori felt the feeling from before in his limbs again. His hands were trembling, and he ended up squeezing the life out of the small recipe notebook.

"How hey are you?" How did he manage to botch that up?! Hey, how are you? How hard was that? How?! Terunori felt his face flush, hoping for the earth to simply open up and swallow him. But, instead, all that happened was Mayumi giggling, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

"I'm doing good, what about you?" Terunori wanted to slap himself and try and get past these yips that he was having. It was beyond embarrassing.

"Good," he chose to stick to one-word answers. After all, how hard would it be to mess those up? "If I were to ask you out on a date, would your answer be the same as the answer to this question?" However, his brain had decided to stop cooperating with his mouth at the most unfortunate of times. And, apparently, it had decided to spill out all the silly pick up lines he'd looked up in the past week. Mayumi's head tilted to the side, in absolute confusion.

"E-eh? What?" Terunori was only aware of his mouth opening again and the blush on his face intensifying to almost impossible proportions.

"Cupid called. He wants to tell you that he needs my heart back." Curse his brain. Work, dammit, not the mouth, but the brain! However, there was no cooperation. Judging by Mayumi's growing smile, she found it beyond amusing. "I'd say God bless you, but it looks like He already did."

"Oh my God!" She finally broke at the last one, bursting into laughter and successfully gaining them the attention of the whole tea shop. Terunori spotted Chunhua practically dying in a corner behind the counter, wheezing. However, his brain wasn't done placing him into yet another degree of mortification.

"Do I know you?" Mayumi's head shot up, the girl trying to hold in her laughter. "Because you look a lot like my next girlfriend." And she lost it again, putting her hands up to physically try to stop him from going for more backup lines.

"Stop, stop, oh God, Terunori, please stop," she wheezed through laughter, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes as she tried to stay standing. "I'll go out with you, just please, no more lines!"

"Today?" He really wished his brain would connect to his mouth and put some kind of impulse control filter on it.

"Sure, today," Mayumi agreed, nodding. Maybe, though, his mouth was doing a fine job of it.

"After work then?" Terunori finally gained some semblance of control over himself, looking at the girl brightly.

"Sur-oh, I can't," Mayumi frowned. "I need to go home to change, because I dirtied my clothes today. I've only got the uniform here." Terunori couldn't help but look down at the qipao which suited her more than he could ever word. It was alright with him, going on a date in that silk dress. Though, he probably wouldn't be able to hold himself back from taking his hands off of her form if she did wear it.

"I can drive you?" he suggested with a shrug. "Then we can decide where to go, Mayuchin?" Terunori could tell that the tension that had been present like a fever in his body was draining, leaving him feeling slightly boneless. Though, he still managed to grin brightly at the girl, slipping into his comfortable persona that he'd developed after entering Tōtsuki.

"Oh, alright then," Mayumi smiled at him, then bowed and walked away to return to her duties. Chunhua passed moments later, tapping him on the shoulder in a rather patronizing manner.

"Nice going, bocchan," she coyly remarked. "Top comedy marks." And she was gone, leaving a horribly blushing Terunori in her wake.

* * *

Mayumi didn't live in a 'good' neighborhood. Then again, she didn't live in a 'bad' neighborhood either, if he dared to be a little more objective. Her building was one of the many, almost indistinguishable ones, that lay on the peaceful street. When Mayumi directed his driver, telling him where to park, Terunori couldn't help but stare. The two exited the town car as he asked, unable to stop himself.

"How do you know which one's yours?" With a tilt of his head, arms crossed, the boy glanced between the buildings. Mayumi didn't get offended. Instead, the girl giggled.

"Well, I used to have that issue," she admitted, fishing out her keys and waving him over to follow her into one of the numerous similar buildings. "I used to remember that mine was the fourth after the willowy tree, but they cut it down some time ago. Now, I just kinda know?"

"Ah, instincts," Terunori laughed to himself, and she joined in. The girl led them into the building, the lights turning on automatically. They entered the elevator and she pressed the fifth floor. Her door was on the left, number twenty-three.

"Here we are," Mayumi said shyly, unlocking the door and turning on the lights. Terunori stood still for a second, not really sure how to proceed. The girl took off her coat and hung it beside a tall mirror, toeing off her boots and entering. "Coming?" Terunori nodded, mimicking her actions and following her inside.

It wasn't a big place, he could see that immediately. In fact, compared to his own apartment, it was tiny. To the left, there was a small bathroom, and to the right, a closed room which he deduced had to be her bedroom. The hallway led them straight into the living room, with a small couch, low coffee table, and sitting pillows. There was a soft carpet under their feet, as well. The apartment didn't have a TV, but Terunori spotted a laptop on the couch. The living room connected to an open kitchen, separated only by a small counter, behind which he found a surface designed to making food. Cupboards lined the wall inside the kitchen, and he eyed a tall fridge, as well as a sink and a dishwasher. There was also a microwave and a coffee maker in the corner, which didn't look much used.

"Cozy," Terunori commented, swinging back and forth on the balls of his feet. Mayumi placed her bag next to the coffee table and turned with a nervous smile.

"It's not much, but it's mine," she told him.

"No, no, it's great," Terunori smoothly lied. He felt like it needed more space. _He _needed more space. Perhaps she could move into his own apartment? Yes, that would be quite nice. He wouldn't mind sharing the space, especially as Mayumi seemed rather tidy.

"It's really not," the girl frowned, letting him know that she'd seen through his lie. "It's smaller than I would've liked it to be. But, this is what I could rent from my salary at the Emerald Dragon. So, nobody can interfere with the space."

"Ah, overbearing family?" Terunori suddenly understood. She didn't want to use her family money to get her own space. She wanted it to be hers. Only hers. Even though he'd never faced that kind of an issue, he could understand it.

"You could say so," Mayumi grinned. "I'm just going to take a quick shower and change, make yourself at home." The girl took out some things from her bag and went into the room near the entrance. Terunori was left awkwardly standing in the small living room. When she exited her bedroom again, he stopped her, despite the change of clothes and the towel in her hands.

"Say, Mayucchi, wanna have our date here?" He smoothly asked. When she looked at him with an inquisitive glance, Terunori quickly elaborated. "I could cook us something and we could watch a movie? I bet you're tired from all the work you did today." With a smile from him, he knew that she was sold.

"Um, alright," the girl agreed. "Then, if you don't mind, let's do that." Terunori eagerly nodded, pushing her towards the bathroom.

"Go, go, shower," he paused in his movements for a second. "Do you like spicy cuisine?"

"As long as it's not too spicy, I'm alright," she told him before he finally pushed her into the small bathroom, catching a glimpse of the insides of the room. A toilet, a low shower, a big mirror and multiple shelves stacked with products.

"Okay, have a good time in the shower," Terunori grinned, closing the door on the girl's amused face. He went back to the living room with a determined face. Terunori wandered into the kitchen, opening the fridge and the cupboards, inspecting her supplies. "Not too bad," he grinned to himself. "I can work with this."

And, Terunori started working his magic. He'd decided on making the usual, traditional Chinese food from the available ingredients. The dishes would be sweet-sour chicken with rice and dumplings, and the nian gao as dessert. He knew that he would have to get a bit creative with the dessert, but the rest could be made with ease from the contents of Mayumi's kitchen.

Terunori found an apron next to the fridge and tied it behind his back, washing his hands at the sink, before he got started. He resisted placing a little more than necessary spices from his back pocket into the chicken while preparing it. He kept holding himself back, as Mayumi wasn't a big fan of spicy things. He got so absorbed in his work, that he didn't even notice when the girl herself joined him, opting to sit on the counter from the living room side.

"Woah, you scared me!" Terunori balked, placing his hand over his quickly beating heart when he turned from the stove, only to see the girl curiously watching him. She giggled, her hand going up to cover her mouth.

"I'm sorry," Mayumi apologized. "You seemed like you were in your element, so I felt bad interrupting," she watched as his hands moved with practiced precision, quickly over the numerous ingredients, getting the dough for the dessert ready. "You seem to be an expert in the kitchen." She mused, making Terunori falter in his movements. He hadn't meant to show her. Heck, he needed to slow down. Terunori purposefully started slowing down gradually in his usual routine.

"Ah, I suppose I'm not that bad," he laughed.

"Where did you learn how to cook so well?" That question made him stop short. Then, his hands continued working as he heard that the chicken was ready for the next stage by the sizzling of the oil.

"Nobody's ever asked me that," he chuckled, thrown off. "I had a caretaker growing up, since my parents were always busy with work," Terunori divulged a secret he rarely brought into the open with anyone. "She had this way of making the house smell really homely, with her cooking. She was Chinese and she always made the spiciest things. I suppose I learned a lot from her." He concluded with a shrug. True enough, he had learned a lot from the woman. But, those had merely been the seeds to the tree he'd grown on his own. His skills weren't those which one would use to cook every day in a kitchen for the family. He was a chef. He was a chef worthy of his 8th Seat, regardless of the spiciness on the menu.

"That's really cute," Mayumi giggled again, making the boy turn around, red-faced, and pout at her.

"Don't make fun of me," he whined.

"Oh, I'm not," Mayumi slid from her spot on the counter, walking over to him while he was finishing up the chicken. "I just find you really cute, Terunori-kun." That got his face to become even redder. And, then she completely destroyed him by snaking her hands around his middle, head resting at his back for a brief moment. Terunori felt his body go into overdrive, suddenly more aware of every place which Mayumi touched, rather than the food in front of him. A gentle kiss pressed right under his ear, before the girl pulled away. "Honestly, I'm surprised that you're this cute. I always thought that you were kind of creepy, always watching me silently." Terunori managed to collect himself enough to retaliate.

"Well, it's kinda hard to gather the courage to talk to a girl for us guys, alright?" He shot back with another pout on his face as he continued checking on the food and adding things here and there.

"True, it must be hard with your sense of direction," Mayumi mused with a smile on her face. "Never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line." Terunori balked, turning to her.

"They were all decent, I'll have you know!" That made her laugh, and honestly, he didn't even mind that she was laughing at him. The way she looked at that moment, in her oversized sweater and tights, with that long hair still damp from the shower, laughing merrily in the kitchen, it was more mesmerizing than her working at the Emerald Dragon. She was exquisite, and Terunori knew that he would never let her go.

"Decently hilarious, sure enough!" Mayumi laughed and he couldn't help joining in. Yes, she was truly exquisite, like the rarest of spices or the most delicious of teas. He was certain that he wouldn't be letting her slip through his fingers anytime soon.

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**That's all for now folks! I hope you enjoyed :D**

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**Reviews:**

**rocketandroll17:  
Thank you so much for the feedback! I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter :D Hope to hear from you again soon :D  
Best!**

**Dondoplzzz:  
Thanks so much for the review :D Glad that you enjoyed the chapter :)  
Best!**

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**Next chapter prompt preview:**

**Prompt: Takes a photo together  
Quote: "I was going to go for a suave pickup line, but I got all flustered when I saw you."**

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**Looking forward to your feedback on this :D**


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